A riding contradiction.

It’s admittedly a strange intersection: ultimate cold-weather fabrics, and shorts. Why does it exist? Because sometimes — particularly if you ride often at higher altitudes — you set out on a freezing morning, only to find that clearing skies, a rising sun, and elevation changes have more than doubled the temperature of your ride. A great pair of leg warmers is all you’ll need to turn the Sugoi RS SubZero Bib Shorts into the perfect pair of lowers for those sorts of days.

Made of Sugoi’s SubZero material, the shorts are ready for the worst you’ll encounter this winter. SubZero is a four-way stretch polyester/elastane blend that insulates exceptionally well, and has also been given a DWR element-proof treatment, making the fabric capable of fending off snow, wind, rain, and the like. As a reinforcement against all of the above, the forward-facing segments of the legs are lined with a fabric called Firewall 180, a virtually impervious material that acts as a buffer between the outer-layer SubZero and your skin. It works not unlike dual-pane windows, designed with a space between them that dramatically reduces heat convection (the cold’s ability to get inside). Even with all this protection, however, the SubZeros are still engineered to be highly breathable so you don’t overheat on rigorous rides or when the temperatures rise over the course of your ride.

Inside the shorts you get one of the most advanced pads on the market, Sugoi’s Formula FX chamois. The pad is designed with a V-shaped central channel welded into the highly perforated, multi-density foam that’s four-way stretchable so it contours to your body. The channel relieves sensitive tissue areas, keeping blood flowing to reduce numbness and the need to constantly shift while pedaling. The beveled edge is laminated into the tights to create a smooth, seamless seat, and special vibration-reducing inserts live in the pad’s foam to make even the longest rides comfortable.